View source for CSS Arkansas

{{Distinguish|USS Arkansas}}
{{Short description|1862 Arkansas-class ironclad}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = CSS Arkansas 2.jpg
| Ship caption =A drawing of C. S. S. '' Arkansas'' by R. G. Skerrett<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not change this caption as it currently conforms to TemplateData for Infobox ship image. Thank you. -->
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Ship country = [[Confederate States of America|Confederate States]]
| Ship flag = {{flagicon|Confederate States|1861}}
| Ship name = ''Arkansas''
| Ship namesake = [[Arkansas|State of Arkansas]]
| Ship ordered = August 24, 1861
| Ship builder = John T. Shirley, [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Tennessee]]
| Ship laid down = October 1861
| Ship launched = April 1862
| Ship commissioned= April 25, 1862
| Ship fate = Destroyed by her crew, {{Nowrap|August 6, 1862}}
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Header caption =
| Ship class = {{sclass|Arkansas|ironclad}}
| Ship displacement = {{cvt|1200|LT|t|lk=on}} (designed)
| Ship length = {{convert|165|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|35|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}
| Ship draft = {{convert|11.5|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} (designed)
| Ship power= *6 [[boiler]]s
| Ship propulsion= 2 shafts; 2 [[Marine steam engine#Direct acting|direct-acting steam engines]]
| Ship speed = {{cvt|8|mph|kn|lk=out}}
| Ship complement = 232 officers and men
| Ship armament = *[[Naval ram|Ram]]
* 2 × {{convert|8|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} [[Columbiad]] [[smoothbore]]s
* 4–5 × {{convert|6.4|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} [[Muzzle-loading rifle|rifled muzzle-loading guns]]
* 2 × {{convert|9|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} [[Dahlgren gun|Dahlgren]] [[smoothbore gun]]s
* 1–2 × [[32-pounder gun|32-pdr]] smoothbores
| Ship armor =* [[Casemate]]: Railroad iron over wood and compressed [[cotton]] 
*[[Pilothouse]]: {{convert|2|in|mm|abbr=on}} 
*Casemate roof: {{cvt|0.5|in|mm|0}} 
*Casemate stern: Thin iron sheets
}}
|}
'''CSS ''Arkansas'' ''' was the [[lead ship]] of [[Arkansas-class ironclad|her class]] of two [[casemate ironclad]]s built for the [[Confederate States Navy]] during the [[American Civil War]]. Completed in 1862, she saw combat in the [[Western Theater of the American Civil War|Western Theater]] when she steamed through a [[United States Navy]] fleet at [[Vicksburg, Mississippi|Vicksburg]] in July. ''Arkansas'' was set on fire and destroyed by her crew after her engines broke down several weeks later. Her remains lie under a [[levee]] above [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]] at {{Coord|30|29|14|N|91|12|5|W}}.

==Design and description==
[[File:Building the Arkansas.jpg|thumb|left|Building the ''Arkansas'']]
At the outset of the [[American Civil War]], the [[Confederate States of America]] had a lack of warships. Seeking to offset the Union's advantage in numbers through technology, [[Stephen R. Mallory]], the [[Confederate States Secretary of the Navy]], decided to build [[ironclad warship]]s.<ref name="Barnhart">Barnhart</ref> An experienced [[steamboat]] man from [[Memphis, Tennessee]], named John T. Shirley visited Mallory in mid-August 1861 and offered to build a pair of such ships to defend the middle portion of the [[Mississippi River]]. Acutely aware of the lack of Confederate naval facilities in the region able to build ironclads, Mallory and Shirley signed a contract for two ships, ''Arkansas'' and her [[sister ship]] CSS ''Tennessee'', at $76,920 each on August 24.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=33–36}} Neither Shirley nor his [[master builder]] Primus Emerson owned a facility suitable for building a ship, and none were available for use in Memphis. The pair ultimately settled on a riverfront site below the bluff on which [[Fort Pickering (Memphis, Tennessee)|Fort Pickering]] sat on the southern edge of Memphis{{sfn|Smith|2011|p=38}} where ''Arkansas'' was [[laid down]] in October 1861.{{sfn|Marcello|2016}}

Shirley consulted with [[naval architect]] [[John L. Porter]] and gun designer [[John M. Brooke]] during his trip and their views greatly influenced the design. Unlike virtually every other Confederate ironclad, the ''Arkansas''-class ships were built with a traditional [[keel]]ed-[[hull (watercraft)|hull]] design with vertical sides to their [[casemate]]s, probably to improve their [[seakeeping]] abilities in the [[Gulf of Mexico]].{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=34–35, 42–43}} The ships measured {{convert|165|ft|m|1}} [[Length between perpendiculars|between perpendicular]]s, had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|35|ft|m|1}},{{sfn|Silverstone|2006|p=150}} and a [[depth of hold]] of {{convert|12|ft|m|1}}.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=70}} As designed they would have [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] about {{convert|1200|LT|t|lk=on}} and had a [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|11.5|ft|m|1}}.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=52, 69}} They were equipped with a pair of [[Marine steam engine#Direct acting|horizontal, direct-acting steam engines]], each driving one propeller using steam provided by four [[coal]]-burning, high-pressure [[boiler]]s, although two additional boilers were added to ''Arkansas'' while she was under construction. The ship had a maximum speed of {{convert|8|mph|lk=in}} in still water, but mechanical problems reduced that speed considerably in service.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|pp=70–73}}{{sfn|Silverstone|2006|p=150}} The boiler combustion gases exhausted through a single [[funnel (ship)|funnel]] {{convert|7|ft|m|1|spell=in}} in diameter made from thin iron plates. Although the amount of coal storage aboard the ships is unknown, ''Arkansas'' demonstrated a range in excess of {{convert|300|mi}} during her brief career.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=111–112}}

The ''Arkansas''-class ships were equipped with a pointed [[cast-iron]] [[naval ram|ram]] that was bolted to their [[bow (ship)|bow]]s at or just below the [[waterline]]. They were designed to mount four guns, two on each [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]], but ''Arkansas'' was modified while under construction to accommodate 10 guns, three on each broadside and two each on the fore and aft faces of the casemate. Sources differ as to the exact numbers of each type, but the ship was armed with two {{convert|8|in|mm|adj=on|0}} 64-pounder [[Columbiad]]s in the front face of the casemate and a pair of {{convert|6.4|in|mm|adj=on|0}} 32-pounder [[smoothbore gun]]s converted to be [[rifled artillery|rifled cannons]] in the aft face while the broadside armament consisted of two {{convert|9|in|mm|adj=on|0}} [[Dahlgren gun]]s and four 32-pounders of which at least two had been rifled, according to naval historian Myron J. Smith.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=52, 54, 101–102}}{{efn|The exact nature of the cannons varies between sources. After the war Lieutenant George W. Gift, commander of the forward guns, stated that the weapons were two 8-inch Columbiads, a pair of 9-inch Dahlgren guns, an 8-inch "shell gun", a 32-pounder smoothbore gun, and four rifled 32 pounders. Commander Isaac Brown, the ship's captain, enumerated them as two 8-inch 64-pounders, two rifled 32-pounders, four 100-pounder Columbiads, and two {{convert|6|in|mm|adj=on|0}} rifled guns.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|pp=106{{en dash}}107}} Lieutenant Charles Read, commander of the ship's aft guns wrote that the ship was armed with two Columbiads, two Dahlgrens, four rifled and two smoothbore 32 pounders. Gift's assistant, [[Master's Mate]] John Wilson, matched Read's recollection in his contemporaneous diary.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=101–102}}}} The side [[Glossary of nautical terms (A-L)#gunport|gun ports]] allowed the guns there to [[Traverse (gunnery)|traverse]] somewhat, but the oval gun ports on the fore and aft faces of the casemate were very narrow which badly restricted those guns' ability to traverse and severely limited the ability of the gun crews to see their targets.{{sfn|Smith|2011|p=97}}

The vertical sides of the sisters' casemates were constructed from oak logs {{convert|2|ft|cm|0|spell=in}} thick{{sfn|Smith|2011|p=52}} while the fore and aft faces of the casemate sloped at a 35° angle from the horizontal{{sfn|Holcombe|1997|p=53}} and were built from {{convert|12|in|mm|0|adj=mid|-thick}} oak squares to which were nailed oak planks {{convert|6|in|mm|0|spell=in}} inches thick. Behind the sides of the casemate was a layer of compressed cotton, possibly {{convert|20|in|0}} deep, backed by a wooden [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]] between each gun port. ''Arkansas'' was intended to be armored with rolled iron plates, but the only delivery of such plates was diverted to the ironclad {{ship|CSS|Eastport}} which was much further along in construction. Instead ''Arkansas'' used [[Rail profile#Flanged T rail|railroad T-shaped-rails]], possibly {{convert|4|in|mm|0}} deep, alternating top and bottom to present a relatively smooth surface. The [[pilothouse]] protruded {{convert|1|or|2|ft|m|spell=in}} above the top of the casemate and was protected by two layers of {{convert|1|in|mm|adj=on}} [[bar iron]]. The visibility of the [[Maritime pilot|pilot]] was badly restricted by the narrow slits cut in the sides of the pilothouse. The casemate roof was minimally protected by {{convert|0.5|in|mm|0}} of [[wrought iron]] boiler plate and the [[deck (ship)|deck]] fore and aft of the casemate was unarmored. A shortage of rails meant that the stern face of the casemate was only protected by boiler plates. The broadside gun ports were protected by hinged iron shutters divided into upper and lower halves, but the fore and aft gun ports were fitted with iron collars into which the gun fit when firing.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=42, 52, 59–60, 97–100, 103}} [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[William F. Lynch]], commander of Confederate naval forces in the region, described ''Arkansas'' as inferior to the ironclad {{ship|CSS|Virginia}} and criticized the quality and construction of the ship's armor and smokestack.<ref name="Barnhart" />

==Construction==
Despite his initial support for the Memphis ironclads, [[Major General (CSA)|Major General]] [[Leonidas Polk]], the Confederate regional commander, generally refused to release any skilled workmen from his command to assist in their construction; shortly after the ships were laid down, Shirley petitioned Polk for 100 carpenters, but only received 8. Other petitions for manpower were ignored, greatly slowing progress on the ships, as Polk gave priority to his newly formed flotilla of ships on the [[Tennessee River]], all of which except ''Eastport'' were unarmored. Material shortages also slowed construction and Shirley chose to focus his efforts on completing ''Arkansas''.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=47, 53, 57}}

Union ships captured the incomplete ''Eastport'' and the lumber and armor plates already delivered, but not yet installed, on February 7, 1862, after the [[Battle of Fort Henry|surrender of Fort Henry]] gave the Federals command of the Tennessee the previous day and towed her way to be completed in a [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] shipyard. The beginning of the [[Battle of Island Number Ten|siege of Island Number Ten]] north of Memphis in early March threatened the city and alerted Confederate commanders and officials to the lack of progress on the ''Arkansas''-class ironclads. Prompted by the request of [[Confederate States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]], [[Judah P. Benjamin]], Major General [[P. G. T. Beauregard]] sent an officer to inspect the sisters and evaluate how much progress had been made in mid-March. He reported that ''Arkansas'' was well advanced, but that ''Tennessee'' would need six more weeks to before she could be [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]]. About this time Mallory sent [[Commander]] [[Charles H. McBlair]] to expedite the ships' construction and appointed him as [[captain (nautical)|captain]] of ''Arkansas''.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=62–64, 67, 69}}

The ironclad was apparently launched in early April,{{sfn|Smith|2011|p=71}} although other sources state later in the month.{{sfn|Silverstone|2006|p=150}}{{sfn|Canney|2015|p=27}} At this time, the exterior of her hull had been covered in iron down to {{convert|12|in|mm|0}} below the waterline and the casemate had been built although gun ports had not yet been cut. The engines and boilers were aboard, but not yet installed, and the propellers and their shafts had been mounted. Only four guns were available, but McBlair had not yet decided where to mount them. The surrender of Island Number Ten on April 8 left only [[Fort Pillow State Historic Park|Fort Pillow]] between Memphis and the advancing Union forces. Three days later Mallory ordered McBlair to take the ''Arkansas'' for completion "if she is in danger at Memphis".{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=71, 74}} McBlair hired the [[side-wheel steamer]] ''Capitol'' to tow the ironclad if necessary and quartered much of her crew aboard after her arrival on April 19.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=74}}

On April 25, the same day that the Union captured [[New Orleans]], McBlair [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] ''Arkansas'' and prepared to transfer his ship to [[Yazoo City, Mississippi]], for completion. One or two days later, the ironclad, as well as a [[barge]] containing additional materials, were towed by the ''Capitol'' to the mouth of the [[Yazoo River]] and thence up that river to Yazoo City.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=75, 78–79}} The ships left the city on May 7 for [[Greenwood, Mississippi]], which was further upriver, after being warned by [[List of governors of Mississippi|Mississippi governor]] [[John J. Pettus]] that Union ships were coming up the Mississippi River, possibly hunting for ''Arkansas''. The two ships reached Greenwood on May 10, just as the annual spring rise of the river was beginning. Several [[Levee breach|levees broke]] and the consequent flooding put the uncompleted ''Arkansas'' almost {{convert|4|mi|km|spell=in}} from shore. To further complicate things, the barge that had accompanied the ship from Memphis also sank during this time, and vital machinery and material had to be recovered from the river bottom using a [[diving bell]]. Progress on the ironclad advanced at a snail's pace during these difficulties.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=80–82}}

On May 19, Beauregard inquired about ''Arkansas''{{'}}s status and, displeased by the lack of progress, telegraphed Mallory, requesting new leadership for the ironclad. Three days later Mallory appointed [[Lieutenant (naval)|Lieutenant]] [[Isaac N. Brown]] captain of ''Arkansas'', ordering him to complete her "without regard to the expenditure of men or money."{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=86–87}} Mallory ordered McBlair back to [[Richmond, Virginia]], the Confederate capital, on the 24th. Brown received his orders on 26 May and reached Greenwood three days later. He was disappointed to find the ship much less advanced than he had hoped and found only five carpenters at work and one [[blacksmith]]'s [[forge]] in use. Dismayed by his predecessor's lack of energy and failure to discipline his workforce, Brown requested some workmen from local Confederate Army units and persuaded several local men to join the crew and slave owners to loan some of their slaves to work on the ship that same day. Brown had ''Arkansas'' towed back to Yazoo City lest she run aground as the flooding subsided and to utilize the greater resources and manpower available there. He jailed some of the troublemakers among the workmen to reestablish discipline and ordered McBlair off the ship at gunpoint, tired of the senior man's interference.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=86–87, 89–92}}

Brown's appeal for more workers at Yazoo City drew a larger response than he had anticipated, with men volunteering to work on the ship and slave owners volunteering both their field hands and skilled workmen. Brown took advantage of the additional labor by working his men around the clock, every day of the week. Blacksmithing tools were borrowed from local [[plantation]] owners and 14 forges were operated at the site to make iron fixtures and machinery parts. With the armor-drilling machinery lost when the barge sank, a makeshift [[crane (machine)|crane]] was set up on ''Capitol'' to hold the newly fabricated drill which was powered by a leather belt driven by the steamboat's hoisting engine.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=95–99}} Within five weeks, ''Arkansas'' had been mostly completed, although the iron plating on her stern and pilothouse was not yet finished. However, river levels were falling, and further construction was no longer practical. Boiler plate was added to the stern, which was viewed to be less likely to be exposed to enemy fire.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|pp=103{{en dash}}105}} Brown described the additional boiler plate as being "for appearance's sake".{{sfn|Marcello|2016}}

The ironclad departed for [[Liverpool Landing, Mississippi]], on either June 22 or 23, to rendezvous with Confederate forces defending the Yazoo River further downstream. A log raft had been constructed there across the Yazoo to serve as a barricade, and three Confederate [[gunboat]]s were positioned to defend it. While she reached a top speed of eight miles per hour, the voyage revealed the ventilation for the [[engine room]] and casemate was grossly inadequate, especially since the boilers were uninsulated. The mechanical weakness of her engines was also demonstrated as they tended to hang up at [[top dead center]], forcing the crew to use pry bars to manually move the [[piston]]s to another position to restart the engine. The engines were linked by a 'stopper' that was supposed to stop one engine if the other stopped for any reason, but this never worked and ''Arkansas'' would start to turn in a circle as the working engine overpowered the turning force provided by the [[rudder]].{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=120, 122–123}}

==Career==
===Action on the Yazoo===
By this time, a [[Union Navy]] fleet commanded by [[Flag officer#United States|Flag Officer]] [[Charles Henry Davis|Charles H. Davis]], had captured Memphis and occupied the Mississippi River north of [[Vicksburg, Mississippi]], threatening the city.{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|p=132}} Two unarmed Union ships approached Liverpool Landing on 26 June, causing Commander [[Robert Pinckney]] to order his gunboats burned. The Union ships returned to the Mississippi River and ''Arkansas'' arrived at the scene after they had left. Brown ordered his crew to try to put out the flames, but they were unsuccessful. Although nothing could be salvaged from the gunboats, quantities of supplies and material, including cannon, had been off-loaded earlier.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=127–129}} Two days later [[Commodore (United States)|Commodore]] [[David G. Farragut]] passed the defenses of Vicksburg to unite with Davis' ships north of the city.{{sfn|Chatelain|2020|pp=183–184}}

Brown briefly returned to Yazoo City to test his engines, but otherwise remained at Liverpool Landing trying to fix the engines, finishing outfitting the ironclad, and integrating the crews of the destroyed gunboats into his own crew. As his ship became more combat worthy, Brown sent Lieutenant [[Charles Read (naval officer)|Charles Read]] to Vicksburg on July 8 to find out what the Confederate commander of the area, Major General [[Earl Van Dorn]], wanted him to do and to scout out the Union fleet between him and the city. Van Dorn ordered him to [[sortie]] into the Mississippi to attack the Union ships north of the city and then to proceed south of Vicksburg and destroy the [[mortar (weapon)|mortar]] boats there if the condition of his ship allowed him to do so. Around 11 July{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=135, 137–138}} 60 Missouri artillerymen{{sfn|McGhee|2008|pp=36–37}} who had volunteered to serve aboard ''Arkansas'' en route to Vicksburg arrived and were given a crash course in operating heavy artillery.{{sfn|Smith|2011|p=138}}

[[File:Gunboat Tyler, where W.W. Stuart served during the Civil War LCCN2014646296.jpg|thumb|The timberclad ''Tyler'']]
A passage was cut through the raft barrier at Liverpool Landing on July 12, and ''Arkansas'' continued downriver to [[Satartia, Mississippi]], accompanied by the [[tugboat]] {{ship|CSS|St. Mary}}. Brown spent all day there on the 13th, exercising his gun crews. Problems occurred on July 14, when the gunpowder in the forward [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]] was discovered to have been dampened by steam escaping from her engines. ''Arkansas'' had to stop at the riverbank for her crew to allow the powder to dry in the sun. Brown reloaded the dry powder later that day and continued to Haynes Bluff, where he anchored about midnight, intending to surprised the Union ships in the Mississippi at dawn.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=140–145}}

[[File:USSCarondelet.jpg|thumb|The ironclad ''Carondelet'', circa 1862]]
Farragut had been alerted by Confederate deserters that ''Arkansas'' was on the Yazoo, although the latest Union intelligence was that she was still incomplete and upriver from Liverpool Landing. Nonetheless, Farragut and Davis agreed to send a reconnaissance mission up the Yazoo to search for the ironclad,{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=145–146}} consisting of the [[timberclad warship|timberclad]] gunboat {{USS|Tyler||2}}, the ram {{USS|Queen of the West||2}}, and the ironclad {{USS|Carondelet|1861|2}}.{{sfn|Miller|2019|pp=158{{en dash}}159}} Leaving ''St. Mary'' behind, Brown departed his anchorage about 03:00 and spotted the Union ships about three hours later a few miles from the mouth of the Yazoo. Brown ordered his pilots to steer for the ''Carondelet'', intending to ram the Union ship, about {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=in}} astern of ''Tyler'' and ''Queen of the West''. He only authorized his forward guns to fire if they bore directly on a target as he did not want to be slowed down by the cannons' [[recoil]]. ''Tyler'' drew the first blood of the engagement when a Confederate soldier was decapitated by a projectile while leaning out of a gun port. The two unarmored ships reversed course to fall back on ''Carondelet'', but ''Arkansas'' was able to close within a range of {{convert|150|–|200|yd|m}} from ''Tyler''. A [[shell (projectile)|shell]] from one of her Columbiads detonated inside ''Tyler''{{'}}s engine room, killing 9 men and wounding 16, but the gun recoiled off its mount and it took 10 minutes of hard labor to remount the gun. Although ''Queen of the West'' was not armed, she attempted to maneuver into a position from which she could ram the Confederate ship, but was dissuaded by a broadside from ''Arkansas'', and turned downstream.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=145, 155–160}}
[[File:Arkansas vs. Carondelet, Yazoo river action July 15.jpg|left|thumb|385x385px|Desperate naval combat between the confederate Ironclad ram Arkansas and a group of Union ships at the mouth of the Yazoo river, 15th July 1863.]]
''Tyler'' followed shortly afterward, continuing to engage the ironclad with her single 30-pounder [[Parrott rifle]] [[stern chaser]] from a range of {{convert|200|–|300|yd|m}}. As ''Carondelet'' and ''Arkansas'' closed the range, the former's shells bounced off the Confederate ship's armor while the latter's shells began to penetrate the Union ironclad's thinner frontal armor. Commander [[Henry A. Walke]], ''Carondelet'''s captain, then ordered his ship to reverse course so that the ''Arkansas'' could not ram him, even though the maneuver exposed his unarmored stern with its pair of 32-pounder smoothbore [[Stern chaser|stern chasers]]. ''Arkansas'' was able to close within {{convert|50|yd|m}} of the retreating Union ironclad, but could not get any closer. Within a half hour after the start of the battle, ''Carondelet''{{'}}s armor had been pierced by at least eight 64-pounder shells, although one of ''Tyler''{{'}}s shots had struck her pilothouse, wounding both pilots familiar with the Yazoo river. Around this time the [[sharpshooter]]s aboard ''Tyler'' opened fire, shooting at ''Arkansas''{{'}}s smokestack, gun ports and Brown himself, who had been commanding his ship from the top of the casemate. One [[Minié ball]] grazed his head as he was about to descend into the casemate,{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=160–164}} but only temporarily knocked him unconscious.{{sfn|Miller|2019|p=159}} ''Arkansas''{{'}}s fire had cut ''Carondelet''{{'}}s steering ropes and she ran aground in a bend of the river. Brown ordered a broadside fired into the Union ship as ''Arkansas'' passed by at [[point-blank range]], intent on reaching the Mississippi.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=165–168}} By this time ''Arkansas''{{'}}s smokestack had been riddled with holes by Union fire and the weakened [[draft (boiler)|draft]] for the boilers had gradually reduced their efficiency and the ship's speed during the battle,{{sfn|Miller|2019|p=160}} so much so that she was only capable of about {{convert|3|mph|kph}} with the current. Other damage to her steam piping and the connection between the funnel and the boilers raised the temperature in her [[fire room]] up to {{convert|130|F|C}} and {{convert|120|F|C}} in the casemate as a result.

The July 15 battle between the ironclads caused heavy damage to the ''Carondelet'' and inflicted 35 casualties.<ref>{{cite book | url=http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/ | archive-url=https://archive.today/20011005083318/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 5, 2001 | title=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships | publisher=[[Naval Historical Center|Naval History Division]] | year=1963}}</ref> About 25 of the ''Arkansas'' crew had been killed or wounded during the battle.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=175–176, 178}}

===To Vicksburg===
[[File:CSS Arkansas h73378.jpg|thumb|''Arkansas'' running through the Federal fleet above Vicksburg, Mississippi, on 15 July 1862]]
In order to reach Vicksburg, ''Arkansas'' needed to force her way through the Union fleet. The crews of Farragut's and Davis' ships had thought that the sound of the guns firing up the Yazoo were from a land engagement and the ''Queen of the West''{{'}}s captain failed to alert the fleet upon his return. The Confederates had made some repairs to the boiler exhausts and  ''Arkansas'' able to generate a moderate head of steam by burning oily material by the time she pursued ''Tyler'' into the Mississippi at 08:30. Only the ironclad {{USS|Benton||2}} had her boilers lit as there was a shortage of coal at that time, but the continued gunfire between ''Arkansas'' and ''Tyler'' caused the Union ships prepare for action by attempting to raise steam and manning their guns. For his part Brown initially decided to close all his gun ports{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=178–183}} and to keep his ship close to the Federal vessels, in order to prevent Union rams from getting much momentum on any ramming attack.{{sfn|Marcello|2016}} The gunboat {{USS|Pinola|1861|2}} opened the fight which prompted Brown to return fire, badly damaging the Union ship. ''Arkansas'' was continuously fired upon from all directions with all of her guns replying as they saw targets at a range of about {{convert|75|yd|m}}. Brown remained on the casemate roof as his ship approached Farragut's largest ships, the wooden [[sloop-of-war|sloops]] {{USS|Richmond|1860|2}} and {{USS|Hartford|1858|2}}.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=183–185}} Before the ''Arkansas'' could reach them, the ram {{USS|Lancaster|1855|2}} passed by the ironclad in an attempt to ram her, but was disabled by a shot through the [[steam drum]].<ref name="Barnhart" /> Her exact casualties are unknown, but the Union ship was hit many times by friendly fire as she maneuvered into position.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=185–186}}

[[File:Steamer Richmond.jpg|thumb|''Richmond'' anchored at [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]], 1863]]
The clouds of smoke produced by all the shooting greatly reduced visibility and the Union ships were additionally handicapped by the presence of Union transports and [[hospital ship]]s on the other side of the river that might be damaged if they missed ''Arkansas''. ''Hartford'' had to wait until the ironclad moved further downstream before she could open fire and was only able to fire a single [[volley fire|volley]] before her guns could no longer bear. One of her shots penetrated the Confederate ship's casemate and killed four men and wounded another. Another shot by the sloop {{USS|Iroquois|1859|2}} killed or wounded the entire 16-man crew of one of the Columbiads and started a small fire that was quickly extinguished. One shot by either the gunboat {{USS|Wissahickon|1861|2}} or her sister {{USS|Winona|1861|2}} penetrated the casemate near a Dahlgren gun, killing three men and wounding three others, travelled through the boiler exhaust to strike the far side of the casemate, killing or injuring 15 men at another gun. By this time the ironclad had little steam available and was mostly drifting with the current. Temperatures in the fire room required the crewmen  to be rotated every fifteen minutes so they would not be overcome by [[heat exhaustion]]. Brown had thus far spent the entire battle either in the pilothouse or on the casemate's roof and he returned to the latter position to seek relief from the heat. Despite his exposed position, he was only slightly wounded during the battle.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=186, 190–195}}

The improved visibility atop the casemate allowed him to see that the only remaining ships that he had to pass were a few of Davis' ironclads, although only two were combat worthy at that time. ''Benton'' had steam up and was able to move slowly as ''Arkansas'' approached, slowly enough that Brown attempted to ram her. The Union ironclad was able to speed up enough to evade the Confederate ship, although she was lightly damaged when the ''Arkansas'' fired a broadside into ''Benton''{{'}}s stern as she passed by. The ironclad {{USS|Cincinnati|1861|2}} was the last ship barring the way to Vicksburg, but she barely had any speed up and was easily evaded. The two Union ironclads pursued the ''Arkansas'' until a brief gun duel with the city's defenses caused them to head back upstream. The mortar boats below the city were warned that the ironclad was passing through the Union fleet and they temporarily withdrew downstream, during which time the [[schooner]] {{USS|Sidney C. Jones|1861|2}} ran hard aground and was burned to prevent her capture. The Confederate ship had fired 97 shots during the day, only 24 of which had missed a Union ship.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=195–200}}

''Arkansas'' received an enthusiastic welcome at Vicksburg. A crowd formed at the wharf where the ship docked, and Van Dorn embraced Brown. However, several spectators observed the gory carnage within the ironclad and were unnerved.  Thirty men had been killed or wounded on the vessel.{{sfn|Miller|2019|pp=160–161}} Brown and his crew spent the rest of the day taking care of the dead and wounded, replenishing the ship's supply of coal and making temporary repairs. An unknown number of volunteers from the city's garrison were received to at least partially replace the day's losses. During this time, the ironclad was ineffectually fired upon by the mortar boats and Union artillery and infantry units across the river.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=210–215}} Farragut decided to run his fleet past the Vicksburg batteries and destroy ''Arkansas'' that evening. He had originally planned for the movement to begin at 16:00, but a storm came up, delaying the advance until 21:00. By then, it was getting dark. The ''Arkansas'' was rust-colored and was docked against a red riverbank, which made her much less visible and significantly degraded the accuracy of the Union guns.<ref name="Barnhart" /> The fire from Farragut's ships was generally ineffectual, although a shot from the sloop {{USS|Oneida|1861|6}} destroyed ''Arkansas''{{'}}s [[sickbay]], damaged her machinery and killed three crewmen and wounded three others. While the effect of the ironclad's fire upon the Union ships is generally unknown, the shot that disabled the gunboat ''Winona''{{'}}s engines is attributed to the ''Arkansas''.{{sfn|Smith|2011|pp=222–223, 226–227}} While Farragut's fleet made it downriver past Vicksburg, it had been unsuccessful in destroying its target and the Confederate guns were similarly ineffective.{{sfn|Marcello|2016}} The Union fleet had suffered 92 casualties during the day's actions.<ref name="encylo of arkansas">{{cite web |last1=Spurgeon |first1=John |title=CSS Arkansas |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/css-arkansas-2854/ |publisher=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |access-date=March 5, 2021 |date=February 26, 2013}}</ref>

The next day, July 16, saw Union ships begin firing at ''Arkansas'' with mortars, necessitating the frequent moving of the ship to keep the Union ships from getting the ironclad's range. The Missourians had only joined the ship's crew for duration of the run to Vicksburg, and returned to their commands on July 16.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|p=126}}  This left ''Arkansas'' with a serious crew shortage.<ref name="Barnhart" /> Brown had permission from Van Dorn to recruit men from Vicksburg's army garrison, but getting volunteers to serve on the ship was difficult due to the off putting effect of the damage from the ship's fight with the Union fleet.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|p=126}}

===Under the Vicksburg bluffs===
[[File:GunboatArkansasIllustrNewYorkTribune07311862.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|''Arkansas'', as the vessel appeared to readers of the [[New York Tribune]], July 31, 1862]]

Three days after the fight, ''Arkansas'' had been repaired to a more mobile position again, and began posing a threat to the Union fleets, which were forced to keep steam pressure up so they could move if need be. At one point, the vessel attempted to threaten the Union's mortar ships, but its engines failed before it entered range of the Union position; ''Arkansas'' returned to its starting position.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|pp=127{{en dash}}128}} The reduced crew still caused problems, as there were only enough men onboard to man three cannons at a time.{{sfn|Marcello|2016}}  After a conversation, Farragut and Davis decided to attack ''Arkansas'' at her position at Vicksburg.{{sfn|Miller|2019|p=162}}  The attack fell on July 22, and was conducted by {{USS|Essex|1856|2}}, ''Queen of the West'', and {{USS|Sumter|1863|2}}.{{sfn|Marcello|2016}} ''Essex'' was the largest ironclad the Union had available, and ''Queen of the West'' was the strongest ram.{{sfn|Miller|2019|p=162}}

''Arkansas'' was not prepared for a battle. The ship's engine was disabled, and the understrength crew was reduced even further with a number of men in hospitals at the time. Brown had only part of his officer corps and 28 crewmen present; only two cannons could be manned with the available crew.{{sfn|Miller|2019|p=162}} The Union vessels did not coordinate well. ''Essex'' tried to ram ''Arkansas'', but the Confederate vessel maneuvered out of the way, while its opponent missed and temporarily ran aground.{{sfn|Marcello|2016}} A close-range duel between the two ships followed, in which ''Essex'' suffered little damage, but a shot penetrated ''Arkansas'', inflicting casualties.<ref name="Barnhart" />{{efn|The number of casualties caused by this single shot varies among sources.  Donald Barnhart, writing for the [[Civil War Times|''Civil War Times Illustrated'']], stated that seven men were killed by the shot.<ref name="Barnhart" /> The ''[[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]]'' says six were killed and six wounded,{{sfn|Marcello|2016}} while [[Donald L. Miller]] gives a total figure of 14 casualties.{{sfn|Miller|2019|p=162}} George W. Gift, one of the ship's officers, wrote that seven men were killed and six wounded.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|p=129}}}} That single shot also damaged ''Arkansas''{{'}}s [[superstructure]]. ''Queen of the West'' rammed the Confederate vessel, but caused no major damage; it also ran aground. Once the two Union ships freed themselves, ''Essex'' continued downriver from Vicksburg, while ''Queen of the West'' returned to the north of the city.{{sfn|Miller|2019|p=162}} A parting shot from ''Arkansas'' hit ''Queen of the West'' in the stern during the retreat; the shot had skipped off the water several times before striking the ship.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|p=130}}

After the attack against ''Arkansas'', Farragut decided that remaining in position near Vicksburg was no longer tenable. The expected seasonal drop in river level threatened to strand his ships on the Mississippi, a third of his sailors were sick, and the Navy was unlikely to receive needed help from the Army. The threat caused by the presence of ''Arkansas'' did not help the matter.{{sfn|Marcello|2016}} On July 23, orders from [[United States Secretary of the Navy]] [[Gideon Welles]] permitted Farragut to abandon the position and leave for the Gulf of Mexico. The next day, Farragut's ships began the movement downriver, leaving Davis behind to continue bombarding the Confederates. However, Davis, on his own initiative, ordered a withdrawal to [[Helena, Arkansas]], on July 28. His crews had been decimated by disease, and he risked not having enough men to continue to operate his ships if he did not withdraw.{{Sfn|Miller|2019|pp=163{{en dash}}164}}

===Final fight at Baton Rouge===
{{Main|Battle of Baton Rouge (1862)}}
[[File:Essex Arkansas.jpg|thumb|Illustration of the ''Arkansas'' burning while under fire from {{USS|Essex|1856|6}}, ''[[Harper's Weekly]]'', 5 September 1862]]

With the threat of the Union fleets no longer present, Brown was granted four days of leave at [[Grenada, Mississippi]], for recovery from injuries. Before leaving, he ordered [[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]] Henry K. Stevens that ''Arkansas'' should not be moved.  Van Dorn was also informed that the ship's engine problems prevented her from being usable without repairs.{{sfn|Marcello|2016}}  Brown fell ill, while Van Dorn planned an attack on the Union-held city of [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]]. Major General [[John C. Breckinridge]] was in charge of the Confederate army assault against Baton Rouge, but soon saw almost half of his force stricken by disease. To make up for the loss in manpower, Breckinridge asked for ''Arkansas'' to support his attack.  Despite the ship still being in a poor state of repair, Van Dorn ordered her to take part in the attack.<ref name="Barnhart" />  Stevens objected, citing Brown's orders that the ship should not be moved, and the question went to the [[Confederate States Department of the Navy]], who decided not to intervene. After making final preparations, Stevens was forced to steam the ironclad towards Baton Rouge.{{sfn|Marcello|2016}}  Brown learned of the debate, and left his sickbed to prevent ''Arkansas'' from leaving Vicksburg, but learned that she had already left when he reached Jackson.<ref name="Barnhart" />

Complicating matters, the ship's regular engineer was too sick to make the journey, and an army volunteer who lacked experience with the type of engines used on the ship served as the engineer.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|p=132}}  Engine troubles occurred during the journey, causing the ship to spin.<ref name="Barnhart" /> ''Essex'' was one of the Union ships at Baton Rouge, and her fire helped repulse Breckinridge's attack in the [[Battle of Baton Rouge (1862)|Battle of Baton Rouge]].  After reaching a point close enough to see Baton Rouge, Stevens and the ship's pilot decided upon a plan of attack: to ram and sink ''Essex'' and then move downstream in order to block the retreat of the smaller Union vessels present.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|p=133}} During the movement, ''Arkansas'' suffered another engine failure, which caused her to run aground on some [[cypress]] stumps. It took several hours to repair the engines, and some iron that had been covering the deck was thrown overboard to lighten the ship.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|p=134}} ''Arkansas'' was able to free herself, but the strain on the engines caused a [[crank pin]] to break. A forge was constructed to create a new pin,<ref name="Barnhart" /> and an engineer on board the ship with blacksmithing experience created a new one.{{sfn|Gosnell|1949|p=134}} Fixing the engine took all night, and when the ship attempted to move downstream again on August 6, the other engine broke down, rendering her immobile. ''Essex'' approached, and Stevens ordered the [[scuttling]] of his ship.<ref name="Barnhart" />{{sfn|Marcello|2016}} Burning, ''Arkansas'' floated downstream before blowing up and sinking around noon.{{sfn|Marcello|2016}}

In 1981, the [[National Underwater and Marine Agency]] discovered the wreck of ''Arkansas'' under a levee below Free Negro Point, near Mile 233.  The site is possibly the location of an old sand and gravel pumping site that reported finding skeletons and projectiles.<ref name="numa">{{cite web |title=Search for the Ironclads |url=https://numa.net/expeditions/november-1981/ |publisher=National Underwater and Marine Agency |access-date=10 March 2021}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==

===Citations===
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin|colwidth=30em}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Barnhart |first1=Donald J. |title=Junkyard Ironclad |journal=The Civil War Times Illustrated |date=May 2001 |volume=40 |issue=2 |issn=0009-8094 |ref=CITEREFBarnhart}}
* {{cite book |last1=Bisbee |first1=Saxon T. |title=Engines of Rebellion: Confederate Ironclads and Steam Engineering in the American Civil War |publisher=University of Alabama Press |location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama |isbn=978-0-81731-986-1|date=2018}}
* {{cite book |last1=Canney |first1=Donald L. |title=The Confederate Steam Navy 1861–1865 |date=2015 |publisher=Schiffer Publishing |location=Atglen, Pennsylvania |isbn=978-0-7643-4824-2}}
* {{cite book |last1=Chatelain |first1=Neil P. |title=Defending the Arteries of Rebellion: Confederate Naval Operations in the Mississippi River Valley, 1861{{en dash}}1865 |date=2020 |publisher=Savas Beatie |location=El Dorado Hills, California |isbn=978-1-61121-510-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Gosnell |first=H. Allen |title=Guns on the Western Waters |date=1949 |publisher=Louisiana State University Press |location=Baton Rouge, Louisiana |oclc=27132761}}
* {{cite book |last1=Holcombe |first1=Robert |editor1-last=Still |editor1-first=William N. Jr. |title=The Confederate Navy: The Ships, Men and Organization, 1861–1865 |date=1997 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |isbn=0-85177-686-8 |pages=40–68 |chapter=Types of Ships}}
{{Cite McGhee 2008}}
* {{cite web |last1=Marcello |first1=Paul J. |title=''Arkansas'' (Ironclad Ram) |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/confederate_ships/arkansas.html |publisher=[[Naval History and Heritage Command]] |access-date=3 March 2021 |date=March 2, 2016}}
* {{cite book |last=Miller |first=Donald L. |date=2019 |title=Vicksburg: Grant's Campaign that Broke the Confederacy |location=New York, New York |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-4516-4139-4 |author-link=Donald L. Miller}}
* Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Series I: 27 volumes. Series II: 3 volumes. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1894–1922. See particularly Series I, volume 19, pp.&nbsp;3–75.
* {{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |url=http://www.numa.net/expeditions/november-1981/ |title=Search for the Ironclads: The Expedition to Find the Confederate Ironclads ''Manassas'', ''Louisiana'', and ''Arkansas'' |website=[[National Underwater and Marine Agency]] |date=November 1981 |access-date=30 January 2018}}
* {{cite book |last=Silverstone |first=Paul H. |year=2006 |title=Civil War Navies 1855–1883 |series=The U.S. Navy Warship Series |location=New York |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0-415-97870-X}}
* {{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships|year=1984 |publisher=Hippocrene Books|location=New York|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}
* {{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Myron J. |title=The CSS ''Arkansas'': A Confederate Ironclad on Western Waters |date=2011 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=978-0-7864-4726-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Still |first=William N. Jr. |author-link=William N. Still Jr. |year=1985 |title=Iron Afloat: The Story of the Confederate Armorclads |orig-year=1971 |location=Columbia, South Carolina |publisher=University of South Carolina Press |isbn=0-87249-454-3}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|colwidth=30em}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Campell |first=Donald B. |date=July 1962 |title=The Confederate Gunboat Arkansas: A Page from the Old Navy |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1962/july/confederate-gunboat-arkansas |magazine=[[Proceedings (magazine)|Proceedings]] |location=Annapolis, Maryland |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute|U.S. Naval Institute]] |volume=88/7/713 |issn=0041-798X |access-date=June 21, 2024}}
* {{cite news |last=Cotton |first=Gordon |date=November 24, 2019 |title='The Arkansas is coming!' A story of unmatched bravery |url=https://vicksburgnews.com/graves-of-the-css-arkansas-dead-will-soon-be-marked/ |work=Vicksburg Daily News |location=Vicksburg, Mississippi |access-date=June 21, 2024}}
* {{cite news |last=Cotton |first=Gordon |date=December 1, 2019 |title=Graves of the CSS Arkansas dead will soon be marked |url=https://vicksburgnews.com/graves-of-the-css-arkansas-dead-will-soon-be-marked/ |work=Vicksburg Daily News |location=Vicksburg, Mississippi |access-date=June 21, 2024}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Parker |first=William Harwar |author-link=William Harwar Parker |editor-last=Evans |editor-first=Clement A. |editor-link=Clement A. Evans |date=1899 |chapter=Chapter VIII: The Ram Arkansas – Her Completion on the Yazoo River – Her Daring Dash Through the Federal Fleet |title=The Confederate States Navy |encyclopedia=Confederate Military History |volume=XII |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/confedmilhist12evanrich#page/62/mode/2up |location=Atlanta, Ga. |publisher=Confederate Publishing Company |pages=63–66 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.marinersmuseum.org/2021/08/css-arkansas-the-yazoo-city-ironclad/ |title=CSS Arkansas: The Yazoo City Ironclad |last=Quarstein |first=John V. |date=August 26, 2021 |website=[[Mariners' Museum and Park]] |access-date=June 21, 2024}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
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* {{YouTube|8gotiDAAYY8|Civil War Lecture: CSS ''Arkansas''}}
* [https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=103751 CSS ''Arkansas'' (Vicksburg, Mississippi)] at the [[Historical Marker Database]]
* [https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=77226 CSS ''Arkansas'' (Yazoo City, Mississippi)] at the [[Historical Marker Database]]
* [https://guides.lib.lsu.edu/c.php?g=862269&p=6257400 The Sinking of the CSS Arkansas] at LSU Libraries
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